Cairo: Egypt signed a production licence agreement with US conglomerate Honeywell UOP to launch its first sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant, advancing the country's push into low-carbon fuels and green energy investment, the Petroleum Ministry said Thursday 4/12/2025.

According to State Information Service Egypt, Petroleum Minister Karim Badawy oversaw the signing between the Egyptian Sustainable Aviation Fuel Company (ESAF), part of the Egyptian Petrochemicals Holding Company (ECHEM), and Honeywell UOP. The project, to be built in Alexandria, will convert used cooking oil into as much as 120,000 tons of SAF annually, helping cut an estimated 400,000 tons of CO2 emissions each year.

'This is the first project of its kind in Egypt and represents a new milestone in supporting the state's transition to green energy,' Badawy said following the signing ceremony. He described SAF production as an economic and environmental priority due to its strong economic and environmental benefits.

Honeywell will supply its UOP technology, one of the most widely used global SAF processes, which can convert waste oils with efficiency rates of up to 80 percent using advanced hydrotreating.

The agreement was signed by ESAF Chairman Tamer Heikal and Honeywell's Matt Spalding, Vice President for Honeywell Energy and Sustainability Solutions (ESS) for Asia Pacific, Middle East, North Africa and India.

Khaled Hashem, President of Honeywell in the Middle East and Africa region, said the partnership reflects a shared commitment to deploying advanced low-carbon technologies and bolstering Egypt's capacity to produce SAF that meets international aviation standards.

ESAF, established in 2024, is 85 percent owned by state petroleum companies and 15 percent by the private sector.